diff --git a/package/boinc/Config.in b/package/boinc/Config.in
index 5239019a57..72d5440131 100644
--- a/package/boinc/Config.in
+++ b/package/boinc/Config.in
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_BOINC
 	bool "boinc"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU # fork()
 	depends on !BR2_STATIC_LIBS # dlfcn.h
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8 # C++11
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBCURL
@@ -16,7 +17,8 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_BOINC
 
 	  https://boinc.berkeley.edu
 
-comment "boinc needs a toolchain w/ dynamic library, C++, threads"
+comment "boinc needs a toolchain w/ dynamic library, C++, threads, gcc >= 4.8"
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
 	depends on BR2_STATIC_LIBS || !BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP \
+		|| !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8 \
 		|| !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
diff --git a/package/boinc/boinc.mk b/package/boinc/boinc.mk
index 567ffc923c..7f78c427ea 100644
--- a/package/boinc/boinc.mk
+++ b/package/boinc/boinc.mk
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ else
 BOINC_CONF_OPTS += --disable-fcgi
 endif
 
+BOINC_MAKE_OPTS = CXXFLAGS="$(TARGET_CXXFLAGS) -std=c++11"
+
 # Remove boinc-client because it is incompatible with buildroot
 define BOINC_REMOVE_UNNEEDED_FILE
 	$(RM) $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/init.d/boinc-client